Historical Anecdote
By George Kotsiopoulos

This being trapping season, I would like to relate two incidents that took place some years ago when Erick Awender and Ted Solomon were trapping in Wisconsin.

They had trapped a Peregrine and when taking it from the nets saw that this Peregrine had claws extending from the wing joints. They had not a camera with them to photograph this Peregrine and released it. I have since learned that this has been seen in Canada Geese but never in a Peregrine. This is called a genetic throw back. It means to me that we may carry in our genes markers that could show up given the right trigger mechanism. I want to relate a second trapping that Ted experienced on a different day. He trapped a Coopers Hawk and when taking it from the dogasa noticed that the Coppers had no talons on either foot and by shear strength of its toes crushed the pigeon to death. Ted also released this hawk. Both Ted and Erick will testify to both incidents, which I consider historically significant.